


Eyeliner

by RoninReverie



Series: Thrawn and Eli Stories [1]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Eyeliner, Hair Brushing, banquet, just guys being dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 01:09:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14438205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoninReverie/pseuds/RoninReverie
Summary: Back in his and Eli's academy days, Thrawn attempts to boost his appearance for the next Imperial banquet they are invited to attend. Little does Eli know, Thrawn has a few surprises up his sleeve.





	Eyeliner

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MinnieTheMoocherDA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinnieTheMoocherDA/gifts).



> Based on a conversation between me and MinnieTheMoocher. 
> 
> You can check out her fanfic based around the same conversation on her [Tumblr Page! ](https://minniethemoocherda.tumblr.com/post/173303072920/maybe-hes-born-with-it-eli-and-thrawn-were)

Thrawn and Eli were attending their first banquet where Thrawn noticed how everyone appeared more dressed up than they normally were. Women were wearing more makeup, some of the men as well, though Thrawn perceived it was for a different reason. Everyone’s hair was combed and styled, their features impeccable and anyone less than an imperial officer was wearing pristine suits and gowns rather their typical uniforms. Even their clothings had been pressed for today's little "get together" as Eli called it. Though, looking at his own appearance, while in regulation, Thrawn could tell they were underdressed for such an occasion. He would have to make special note to remedy that come the next gala they were invited to attend.

* * *

 

The wait was short lived and next invitation finally came, but Thrawn was well prepared this time. He had his and Eli’s uniforms pressed, slicked his blue-black hair to perfection, and was even in the process of combing out Eli’s unruly brown tangles until they swooped stylishly against his head.

“And why--” Eli grunted once as Thrawn his a snag in his hair with the comb. “Why exactly are we getting all dolled up for this banquet?”

“Your hair is quite unruly today, Cadet Vanto,” Thrawn said in his typical calm and calculating demeanor. “Please explain the term, _“dolled up”_.”

“It means we’re making an effort to look fancier than normal. So don’t tell me--” Eli suppressed the urge to laugh as his head followed Thrawn’s comb stuck on another tangle. “You met someone at the last banquet and now you want to look good for them. Tell me, who was it? That cute blonde that follows around that rich senator from Cantonica? Oooh, what about that little black haired one with the big--”

“I was with you that entire night,” Thrawn interrupted. “I did not meet anyone who compels me to undergo the action of extra personal grooming.” He thought long for a moment and added. “At least, not in the way you are accusing.”

“I’m not--” He was fed up with the combing now, and stood up, escaping to the other side of the room. “Look, I’m not accusing, I’m just asking. If there’s some woman who caught your eye--” He blushed and rubbed at his newly combed hair. “Well, I’d like to help you. Be your wingman, you know?”

 _“Wing? Man?”_ Thrawn’s voice had that confused twinge in the tone that Eli recognized as the one he used when he needed further explanation.

As he inquired further, Thrawn turned his back to Eli, and faced their small regulation mirror that hung over the sink by the blank wall. He was too tall or the mirror was built too short, so Thrawn had to crouch to look into it. Eli never had that problem, but he was a little shorter than most of the storm troopers and older lieutenants. He wondered if any of them had the same problem as Thrawn?

“Yeah!” He shrugged. “I’d like to help you, maybe build you up to her. Tell her a few good things about you that makes her like you better.”

“Ah!” He hummed, placing a small tube of something down on the sink as he lifted himself back to a full stand. “While I appreciate your role as _wingman_ , I am afraid it is unnecessary. There is no woman.”

“Oh…” Eli blushed and waved his hand through the air as if swatting at a bug. “We can still make it work if it’s a gu--” He stopped mid sentence as Thrawn turned around to face him, and spewed spit across the room. “What in Sam Hell did you do to your face!?”

Thrawn’s brows lifted, his mouth shrinking into a frown.

“Did I apply it incorrectly?” He asked, turning back towards the mirror.

Below each eye, Thrawn had traced out a thick line beneath both of his lids with bright red eyeliner. At the sight of it, and now of Thrawn’s primping, Eli sat back on the bottom bunk, hands wrapped around his waist as he burst out into tears of pure, uncontained laughter.

“I fail to see what is so humorous?” Thrawn’s eyes fell to slits. He was pouting… well… pouting in his own Thawn-like way at least.

This only made Eli laugh harder, gasping for breath as he waved a hand apologetically through the air.

“I’m sorry!” He laughed. “I’m sorry!” He soothed a little and wiped his tears away. “Just… why… God… give me a minute… _Phew!”_ He breathed and sat up. “Thrawn, why in star's names are you wearing makeup?”

“At our last gala, I noticed many patrons were wearing paint on their faces. It is customary to do so when you, as you say, _get dolled up._ I found that the most common of these grooming procedures is to apply makeup with neatly combed hair.”

Eli’s face was already turning purple as he held his breath to suppress more laughter. His hand motioned at the tube of eyeliner and he hummed a “please continue” to Thrawn without actually being able to say the words out loud. 

“The woman at the store told me this would make my eyes appear _“popped”_ and I assume that is a good thing despite how horrendous it sounds.”

That did it, Eli fell back in tears again.

Thrawn didn’t even try to stop him, he just sat against the wall and waited for Eli to stop. He did, but not for a good minute or two later.

“Are you finished?”

With deep breaths, he nodded. “Yeah… yeah, I’m done.” He stood and took Thrawn by the shoulders. “Alright. For starters. The people you saw at the party with makeup on were all women.”

“Untrue,” Thrawn said, slightly insulted that Eli didn't think he would have taken gender into effect when observing the attendees. “Lieutenant Colonel Senjax was wearing a light foundation to hide a blemish on his nose.”

Eli placed a hand on his mouth.

“You are going to laugh again.”

Eli wasn’t sure if it was an accusation or a question, but shook his head nevertheless.

“Nope!” He swallowed it back and lied. “No… not at all…”

“Regardless,” Thrawn said. “I thought we appeared underdressed at the last event, so I thought this time to make more of an effort in our appearance.”

“Your effort is noted,” Eli smiled.

“Explain to me why males are not permitted to wear this _make-up,_ Cadet Vanto.”

“Well…” He rubbed his neck. “I mean, I guess they can, but a lot of em’ don't. Look, aside from Senjax, the fanciest thing a guy will do when going to one of these things aside dressing in the Kowakian monkey-lizard suits--” He held up a hand when he saw Thrawn part his lips to question him. “--And yes that is a figure of speech, I’ll explain it later.”

Thrawn blinked, but closed his mouth.

“The most these guys do is see who can grow the fanciest and most pompous mustache.”

Thrawn rubbed at his chin.

“Chiss do not grow facial hair.”

Eli let his head fall in defeat.

“If it’ll make you feel better, you can wear the eyeliner.” He looked up. “It looks--It looks good on you.”

“The others won't erupt in raucous laughter at the sight of me as you have, correct?”

“It’s a little humbling that you care.” Eli smirked. “Makes you seem more human.”

Thrawn’s lip rose slightly… a smirk perhaps?

“Thank you Cadet Vanto.” He gave off a slight nod. “I think I will wear the makeup. It reminds me of the war paint of my people.”

“Ah, well that makes it much more manly.”

“Your position of wingman is going quite well. I feel better about myself already.”

“Wingman of eyeliner,” He sighed. “Yeah, cuz that's what I’ve trained all these years to become.”

“Shall we go?”

Eli looked up and saw Thrawn with his elbow raised, arm waiting to be taken and escorted out of their room.

“Now, when you saw other people doing that at the last banquet--” Eli started.

Thrawn frowned.

“Ah what the hell, come here!” He took his arm. “But if anyone asks, you blinded yourself with the eyeliner and didn’t want to fall off a balcony somewhere.”

“Understood,” he said. “Shall I attempt to be your wingman for the night as well?”

“What? Oh God no!” he said with a small chuckle. “That’s an accident waiting to happen!”

“I will cause no such accident,” Thrawn said. “I know many stories about you to boost your appeal to the opposite sex.”

Eli shuddered all over and patted Thrawn’s arm, before taking three large steps to the side.

“Why don’t we just focus on showing off that eyeliner, pal?” He spoke under his breath. “You’re gonna be the most talked about guy at the party like usual.”

“Is that so?” He said thoughtfully. “Perhaps we should put eyeliner on you as well, so the other patrons will talk about you also?”

“I’m good, thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”  

He chuckled after that, suppressing a snort beneath his hand.

Thrawn smirked at the gesture.

“So, how’s my hair look?” Eli asked suddenly, feeling it over between his fingers.

“Adequate,” Thrawn answered honestly.

“Now see, that kind of brutal honesty ain't gonna cut it as a wingman!”

“My apologies,” he said. “I will try harder to boost your strengths and confidence.” 

Thrawn was still doing that thing where he smiled with his eyes. Those glowing red orbs that were somehow more comforting to Eli now than when they'd first met. 

“Thanks,” Eli said, though not with the usual sarcasm he typically used.

As they stepped out of the transport and made their way to the banquet hall, Thrawn spoke up and held a finger out as if to question something.

“Could you explain to me the _monkey-suit_ slang you used earlier?”

“Oh here we go…”

Eli prepareded a lengthy explanation for the latest in terminology that Thrawn didn’t fully seem to grasp. You’d think that after all this time speaking Basic, he would grasp more slang terms than he did, but Eli didn’t blame him. Basic was rather difficult to outside ears, and anywho, he didn’t really mind. It gave him something to do in his downtime at the academy. They were outcasts on Coruscant anyway, so they really only had each other to deal with.

“Before that,” Eli said. “Answer me something, will you?”

“Of course.”

“Are we friends?” He blurted, feeling stupid as soon as the words left his lips.

Thrawn stared at him for a long while, which only made Eli feel more insecure and regret surrounding his question. He was about to tell Thrawn to forget about it, when the Chiss took a stray strand of hair and brushed it back to the side of Eli’s face where it belonged.

“You are my translator,” Thrawn said, and already Eli felt a sinking pit fall deeper into his stomach.

“Yeah, just forget I sai--”

“But you are also the one who I feel the closest with at this academy, and perhaps in many other ways as well. I consider you a very important person in my life, Eli.”

He blinked. Thrawn rarely used Eli’s name, and it took him off guard for a moment.

“We are friends,” Thrawn finished with a stern nod.

Eli sputtered for a moment, falling back down to Coruscant as his mind tried to process Thrawn’s reply.

“Th-thank you.”

“You are welcome,” he nodded again. “Now about those suits? How many Kowakian monkey-lizards does it take to tailor such a garment? I’d imagine the ensemble to be quite hideous.”

Eli slid his face into his palm.

They had come full circle. Now it was back to translator.

“Okay, first of all--”

But as Eli explained the term, he felt a swell of content joy spread through him. He hadn’t had very many friends in his lifetime, but he knew one thing… he had Thrawn, and that was something pretty special in Eli's own opinion.


End file.
